Dr. Paul Shin specializes in anesthesiology and interventional pain medicine. These areas are among his clinical interests: celiac plexus block, neuropathy (nerve dysfunction), and sciatica. Patients rated Dr. Shin highly, giving him an average of 4.0 stars out of 5. He is in-network for Coventry, Coventry Bronze, and Coventry Silver, in addition to other insurance carriers. After attending the University of Toledo College of Medicine for medical school, he completed his residency training at Cleveland Clinic. He is affiliated with Euclid Hospital.

Dr. David Shewmon's specialty is adult endocrinology. He attended Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, Chicago Medical School and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign College of Medicine for medical school and subsequently trained at Michael Reese Hospital for residency. Dr. Shewmon's areas of expertise include the following: diabetes, osteoporosis, and pituitary tumor. Patient reviews placed him at an average of 5.0 stars out of 5. He accepts Coventry, Coventry Bronze, and Coventry Silver, as well as other insurance carriers. Dr. Shewmon speaks German. He is professionally affiliated with Avon Hospital.

Dr. Bradley Pierce is a specialist in orthopedics/orthopedic surgery. Areas of expertise for Dr. Pierce include knee arthritis, ankle fusion, and general orthopedics. He is rated highly by his patients. He honors several insurance carriers, including Coventry, Coventry Bronze, and Coventry Silver. Before performing his residency at Akron General Medical Center, Dr. Pierce attended Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. Dr. Pierce is professionally affiliated with Cleveland Clinic.

Dr. Gina Hild works as a foot doctor and foot and ankle surgeon in Wooster, OH, Cleveland, OH, and Strongsville, OH. She is rated 5.0 stars out of 5 by her patients. Her areas of expertise include the following: bunion surgery, plantar warts, and ankle sprain. Dr. Hild is in-network for several insurance carriers, including Coventry, Coventry Bronze, and Coventry Silver. She trained at Cleveland Clinic for her residency. Dr. Hild is affiliated with Medina Hospital, Strongsville Family Health & Surgery Center, and Lutheran Hospital.

Pain medicine is a specialty closely related to, but separate from, anesthesiology. Whereas anesthesiologists typically work to relieve a patient’s pain during surgery or another medical procedure, pain medicine specialists work to relieve their patients’ pain as they are out living their lives.

Pain medicine specialists treat patients who have acute or chronic pain. The pain may be a symptom of their problem (e.g. they are hurting because they were in a car accident), or the pain may be the problem itself (e.g. they are having migraine headaches). The pain specialist’s goal is to prevent pain from interfering with a patient’s quality of life.

Pain medicine specialists must have a thorough understanding of the physiology of pain, how it is caused, and what effects it has on the body. A good pain medicine specialist is able to evaluate patients who are hurting and who may not always be able to communicate their problems very well. To gain more information about their patients’ condition, pain medicine physicians can interpret specialized imaging tests. Using this information, pain medicine specialists must be able to prescribe a balanced treatment plan.

There are several treatments that pain medicine specialists may use to alleviate pain for their patients. They can prescribe medication, perform certain procedures, and refer patients to rehabilitation services. Often they will recommend multiple treatment methods to be used simultaneously. Some of these pain treatments include:

Implantable devices (intrathecal pump, spinal cord stimulator)

Injections (corticosteroids)

Medications (Percocet, Vicodin)

Nerve blocks (anesthetic injected into a nerve)

Physical therapy

Surgery

Alternative medicine therapies, such as biofeedback, acupuncture, and hypnosis

Being in pain takes away your enjoyment of life. It can lead to depression and stop you from engaging in even everyday activities. Because pain can’t be seen or tested for, it is sometimes overlooked by others. A pain medicine specialist works to safely restore your quality of life.

Sports medicine is the specialty that promotes physical fitness and activity while managing, treating, and preventing injuries that happen during exercise or participation in sports. Sports medicine fosters wellness and fitness and works to inhibit injury. A sports medicine specialist may work with professional athletes, school sports teams, individuals who participate in sports on the weekend for fun, or someone who is just beginning to exercise for the first time. Although their main focus is on musculoskeletal function, sports medicine specialists also care for patients’ full medical and nutritional needs as they relate to their active lifestyle.

Some examples of the kinds of injuries and issues that a sports medicine specialist might see in their work include:

Acute sports injuries (sprains, fractures)

Overuse injuries (tendonitis, bursitis)

Head injuries (concussion)

Heat injuries (heat stroke)

Athletes with chronic illness (asthma, diabetes, heart disease) and how their illness is affected by exercise

Nutrition and the use of supplements

Developing a safe exercise plan for obese or sedentary patients

Substance abuse of performance-enhancing drugs

Teaching proper form and technique to reduce the chance of injury

Sports medicine specialists often work closely with orthopedic specialists, and the scope of their work can have some overlap. The main distinction is that orthopedic specialists can perform surgery when it is needed, while sports medicine specialists focus on non-surgical solutions for injuries.

Whether they are the team physicians making sure every professional player is performing safely and at their best, or community specialists getting you back in the game after a sprained ankle, sports medicine doctors are there to make sure you’re in good condition to lead an active life.

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What are Musculoskeletal Problems?

The musculoskeletal system refers collectively to the bones, joints, ligaments, muscles, and nerves. It is what gives our bodies structure and allows us to move and do things. Because this system encompasses so much of the body, musculoskeletal problems are extremely varied and can happen almost anywhere. There are musculoskeletal problems that affect only the joints, those that affect the bones, those that affect tendons and ligaments, and those that can happen in any area of the body but cause pain and numbness.

Joint problems include bursitis and arthritis. Bursitis is the inflammation of a fluid-filled sac cushion on the outside of a joint, causing symptoms including pain and swelling. Arthritis is the inflammation and damage of a joint due to wear and tear or disease. There are several treatments for arthritis, but if the damage progresses far enough, joint replacement may be necessary. In joint replacement, a metal or plastic implant is surgically placed within the joint to make movement easier.

Bone problems include scoliosis, fractures, and osteoporosis. Scoliosis is a curvature of the spine, making the normally straight spine look like a “C” or “S.” It is treated with braces or surgery. Osteoporosis is a disease that causes bones to weaken and break easily. It’s most common in women, especially older women. Fully half of all women over 65 have osteoporosis. Fractures are any break in the bone. They can be a simple crack or a severe and complicated shatter. Osteoporosis causes fractures in people who have it, but other causes are trauma (such as a fall) or overuse.

Tendon and ligament problems most often result from injury or overuse. Two good examples are ligament tears and tendonitis. The most common ligament tear is the ACL tear in the knee. This ligament supports and stabilizes the knee and is most often torn during sports activities. Tendonitis happens when a tendon, which connects muscles and bones together, becomes irritated and inflamed. This happens most often in older patients who push their bodies too far, leading to pain and swelling. Treatment for both tendon and ligament problems usually includes rest, ice, and supporting the area to let it heal.

Pain and numbness problems can be caused by overuse, disease, an injury, or a compressed nerve. Lower back pain and carpal tunnel syndrome are two of the most common conditions patients encounter. Lower back pain may be caused by sore muscles that have been overworked, or an injury to the disks separating the vertebrae in the spine. Lower back pain usually goes away on its own within a few days, but it may require medical treatment depending on the cause. Carpal tunnel syndrome occurs when the nerve at the base of the palm becomes trapped or pinched. Symptoms include tingling, pain, numbness, or weakness in the hand. Treatment involves rest and sometimes steroid injections.

Because the musculoskeletal system involves so much of the body, problems here can be incredibly varied in their type and severity. Some musculoskeletal problems will go away on their own or only require rest, while others may require medication, physical therapy, or even surgery.